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President Bush plans to veto a defense spending bill that Congress passed this month, the White House said Friday.
The president has concerns over a provision that would let victims of Saddam Hussein's regime with legal claims in U.S. courts seek compensation from the Iraqi government.
If enacted, the White House said, the act "would permit plaintiff's lawyers immediately to freeze Iraqi funds and would expose Iraq to massive liability in lawsuits concerning the misdeeds of the Saddam Hussein regime.
"The new democratic government of Iraq, during this crucial period of reconstruction, cannot afford to have its funds entangled in such lawsuits in the United States."
A veto would block a pay raise for members of the U.S. armed forces. It also would block more money for veterans' health care.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, criticized the president's decision.
"The defense bill passed both houses of Congress by overwhelming bipartisan margins and addresses urgent national security priorities," including the pay raise and money for veterans' health care, Pelosi and Reid said in a written statement. "It is unfortunate that the president will not sign this critical legislation."
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, also expressed dismay at the president's decision.
"This bill is important to our men and women in uniform," Levin said. "It is unfortunate that the administration failed to identify the concerns upon which this veto is based until after the bill had passed both houses on Congress and was sent to the president for signature.
"I am deeply disappointed that our troops and veterans may have to pay for their mistake and for the confusion and uncertainty caused by their snafu."
At issue is a provision of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act that could let people with legal claims alleging brutality from Saddam Hussein and his forces recover damages from the current Iraqi government. That element of the bill prompted the Iraqi government to threaten to withdraw $25 billion of Iraqi assets from U.S. banks, White House officials told CNN.
The Democratic leaders said that Bush worked closely with Congress on the bill and "gave no indication prior to its passage that one section of the bill could generate a presidential veto."
Source: AP
The president has concerns over a provision that would let victims of Saddam Hussein's regime with legal claims in U.S. courts seek compensation from the Iraqi government.
If enacted, the White House said, the act "would permit plaintiff's lawyers immediately to freeze Iraqi funds and would expose Iraq to massive liability in lawsuits concerning the misdeeds of the Saddam Hussein regime.
"The new democratic government of Iraq, during this crucial period of reconstruction, cannot afford to have its funds entangled in such lawsuits in the United States."
A veto would block a pay raise for members of the U.S. armed forces. It also would block more money for veterans' health care.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, criticized the president's decision.
"The defense bill passed both houses of Congress by overwhelming bipartisan margins and addresses urgent national security priorities," including the pay raise and money for veterans' health care, Pelosi and Reid said in a written statement. "It is unfortunate that the president will not sign this critical legislation."
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, also expressed dismay at the president's decision.
"This bill is important to our men and women in uniform," Levin said. "It is unfortunate that the administration failed to identify the concerns upon which this veto is based until after the bill had passed both houses on Congress and was sent to the president for signature.
"I am deeply disappointed that our troops and veterans may have to pay for their mistake and for the confusion and uncertainty caused by their snafu."
At issue is a provision of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act that could let people with legal claims alleging brutality from Saddam Hussein and his forces recover damages from the current Iraqi government. That element of the bill prompted the Iraqi government to threaten to withdraw $25 billion of Iraqi assets from U.S. banks, White House officials told CNN.
The Democratic leaders said that Bush worked closely with Congress on the bill and "gave no indication prior to its passage that one section of the bill could generate a presidential veto."
Source: AP